Civil Discussion
by xCaligula
Summary: A side story to My Two Straight Dads, taking place in the last chapter. Hollis confronts Eddie about his parenting.
**A/N: This conversation takes place in chapter 5 of My Two Straight Dads, after Laurie tells them about Jon but before she tries to make up with Hollis.**

"We need to talk," said Hollis.

"If I had a dollar for every time ya said that in the past seventeen years," Eddie replied with a chuckle.

"I'm being serious," the older man said.

"That too. God I'd be a rich man with that one," he said, before smirking. "Well, richer, anyway. Uncle Sam and our dear President Nixon pay me well enough."

"Eddie, can you please stop fucking around? I really think we should talk about Laurie and what happened earlier."

"I don't see what there is to talk about. I made my stance on the matter clear, and I _am_ her father." He rose from where he sat, as if daring Hollis to challenge him.

"You know I hate when you say that," said Hollis. "Legally, I'm just as much her father as you are, and I raised her just the same."

"But I'm her real dad. And I think, since I was actually man enough to-"

"Would you stop lording that over me? I know! I know that Sally fucked you. I know she loved you or thought she did for a night or whatever. And even though I'll never understand _why_ she gave a damn about a scumbag like you were, that doesn't mean I give a damn either. She's been gone for seventeen years and I'm not going to let you torment me with my feelings for her anymore." He let out a breath once his tirade was through.

Eddie gave a small laugh. "Were?"

"What?"

"You said were. 'A scumbag like you _were_ '. What's up with the past tense?"

"Oh. Well." He sighed. "Look, as much as I hate to admit it, you have cleaned up your act a lot since Laurie was born. I don't know what it is you do for the government and I don't want to know, but as far as things are around here, you have changed for the better, at least a little bit."

For a moment, Eddie looked stunned to hear a genuine compliment from one of his harshest critics. Then he grinned and said, "Well, thanks, buddy. Never thought I'd ever hear you singin' my praises." He paused. "I'm...uh, I'm sorry I keep bringin' up Sally and our relationship, and keep bein' possessive of Laurie. She's, ya know, my only tie to Sal and I guess I don't like to share."

There was an awkward pause. They had lived together for a good seventeen and known each other for twenty seven, but it was rare that they were so friendly. Finally, Hollis cleared his throat and said, "Anyway, I just want to know why you would give her your permission to date Dr. Manhattan. You know as well as I do, maybe better, just how dangerous someone like him can be. And that's without even mentioning the age difference of the fact that he must have only just left that girl he's been with for years."

"It's like I said," Eddie replied. "It's her choice. You and I did all we could for her and she's got a will just about as strong as me. We tell her no and she just keeps doin' it in secret, and that's the best case scenario. Worst case, she runs away and we lose her over this. She's strong and capable, with a better head on her shoulders than I did at her age. I trust her on this one."

"But she's still a child, isn't she?"

"Only legally, and even that won't be true for long," he said with a shrug. "If ya wanna try to fight this more, go an' tell her she doesn't have your support, but don't be surprised if I'm right."

Hollis gave a defeated sigh. "I hate admitting that you're right, you know that. And I'm just so worried about her! Sure, she's strong and she's smart, but a man like him? If he ever did anything to hurt her, Laurie wouldn't be able to stop in, and who really knows what he's going to do?"  
"Who knows what he's going to do either way?" Eddie asked, suddenly solemn. "I mean, whether he's with Laurie or not, he could still hurt her. He could still hurt any of us, right? But if she thinks he has feelings for her, if she trusts him, I'm gonna trust her, because she was ballsy enough to spend more time talkin' to him than I ever did."

Hollis could never remember seeing Eddie afraid, but there was something in his voice that indicated that, though he may play it tough, even he was not so sure about Dr. Manhattan. This only made him question why he would allow Laurie to date him even more, but then it all came back to trust. And he was so willing to trust his daughter, so willing to put all his faith in her words, that he put those feelings aside.

Of course it was stupid. No matter how much you trusted your children, any parent would put their safety above something like that and be a lot more concerned with it than trust. But Eddie wasn't any parent, and neither was Hollis, and Laurie wasn't any child, and that much had been clear since they had all chosen this life. Perhaps there were different rules that had to be learned along the way.

"I'm not going to do anything to stop her," he finally said. "I'll trust her on this too. But if he does anything to hurt her, I'll become a goddamn scientist if that's what it takes to figure out how to hurt him back."

"Took the words right outta my mouth, Hollis," said Eddie with his usual smirk. "Looks like we can get along, at least when we want to."

Despite himself, Hollis let out a small laugh. "Yeah, well, don't get used to it."

"Wouldn't dream of it, pal." And then Hollis left the room and the two of them felt incredibly strange after their first genuine and friendly interaction in years.

 **A/N: Expect a few more short snippets from other characters in this story while I think about what I'd like to do in the sequel.**


End file.
